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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bark — to shout
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. game — a match
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. game — wild animals
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. foot — a measure
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. calf — of the leg

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com